Compensation Survey
Source: Journal of Accountancy
The Robert Half 2007 Salary Guide predicts increases in starting salaries:
| Senior managers and directors at large CPA firms (over $250 million) | 8.1 percent (range—$92M to $141M) |
| Senior manager—small and medium-size CPA firms (up to $250 million) | 7.0 percent |
| Internal auditors | 5.8 percent (range—$77.5M to $101.5M) |
| Compliance executives—medium-size companies | 9.3 percent (range—$111M to $145.5M) |
| Compliance executives—large companies | 14.4 percent (range—$132.5M to $181.25M) |
| Outside auditors (seven years’ experience/small firms) | 5.2 percent (range—$48.75M to $63M) |
CPAs and MBAs should earn as much as 10 percent more than candidates without those certifications.
The largest compensation increases will go to:
- CPAs in public accounting.
- Compliance specialists—SEC regulations.
- Certified Internal Auditors.
- Senior financial analysts.
The most popular benefits:
- Reimbursement of cost of training for additional certifications (less than half of companies provide such reimbursements now, but this may increase).
- Health care.
- Flex-time—including telecommuting and compressed hours.
Young staff members are also attracted to firms with the best technology.
Small firms can best compete for talent by:
- Promoting a “family” type environment.
- Emphasizing opportunities for earlier high-level responsibilities.
- Promising less travel.
From Journal of Accountancy, August 2007, p. 36. For the complete article, click here, then select The Red Carpet Treatment.